Unloading conveyor suspension system

Abstract

A suspension system for an unloading conveyor of an agricultural harvester vehicle, has a first support configured to hold the unloading conveyor in a vertical unloading position; a second support configured to hold the unloading conveyor in a horizontal unloading position; a control circuit coupled to the first and second supports, wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively engage at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator to one of the first support and the second support to thereby spring-load the unloading conveyor in the vertical or the horizontal direction (or both).

1. A suspension system for an unloading conveyor of an agricultural harvester vehicle, the conveyor having one end mounted to the vehicle for permitting the conveyor to be pivoted about a vertical axis among selected horizontal unloading positions and to be pivoted about a horizontal axis among selected vertical unloading positions, comprising:
 a first support defined by a first variable length hydraulic actuator mounted for selectively moving the conveyor about said horizontal axis to, and for holding the unloading conveyor in a selected vertical unloading position; 
 a second support defined by a second variable length hydraulic actuator mounted for selectively moving the conveyor about said vertical axis to, and for holding the unloading conveyor in a selected horizontal unloading position; and 
 a control circuit coupled to the first and second supports, wherein the control circuit is configured for selectively individually effecting a change in the length of the first and second supports and for selectively coupling at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator to, or decoupling said at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator from, one of the first support and the second support to thereby spring-load or remove spring-loading from the unloading conveyor in at least the vertical or the horizontal direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The suspension system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support is a first hydraulic cylinder, and the control circuit being configured to selectively couple the at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator and a second gas charged hydraulic accumulator respectively to first and second ends of the hydraulic, thereby permitting the first hydraulic cylinder to function together with the at least one and second gas charged hydraulic accumulators as a spring-loaded support for the unloading conveyor in the vertical direction. 
     
     
       3. The suspension system of  claim 1 , wherein the second support is a second hydraulic cylinder, and the control circuit is configured to selectively couple the at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator and a second gas charged hydraulic accumulator to opposite ends of the second hydraulic cylinder, thereby permitting the second hydraulic actuator to function together with the at least one and second gas charged hydraulic accumulators as a spring-loaded support for the unloading conveyor in the horizontal direction. 
     
     
       4. The suspension system of  claim 1 , wherein the unloading conveyor comprises a first endless belt conveyor portion supported on a first frame. 
     
     
       5. The suspension system of  claim 4 , wherein the unloading conveyor comprises a second endless belt conveyor portion supported on a second frame that is slidably supported on the first frame and extendable therefrom. 
     
     
       6. A method of operating a suspension system for an unloading conveyor of an agricultural harvester vehicle in an agricultural field, the unloading conveyor being mounted for pivoting horizontally and vertically about one end, with first and second variable length supports respectively defined by first and second hydraulic actuators respectively coupled for effecting horizontal and vertical movements of the unloading conveyor, comprising the steps of:
 driving the harvester vehicle through the agricultural field from an operator station of the agricultural harvester vehicle; and 
 from the operator cab, selectively coupling or decoupling at least a first gas charged hydraulic accumulator to or from one of said first and second hydraulic actuators of the unloading conveyor to thereby effect or disable a spring load acting on the unloading conveyor for movement in at least one of a vertical and a horizontal direction. 
 
     
     
       7. A method of operating a suspension system for an unloading conveyor of an agricultural harvester vehicle in an agricultural field, comprising the steps of:
 driving the harvester vehicle through the agricultural field from an operator station of the agricultural harvester vehicle; and 
 from the operator cab, engaging at least a first gas charged hydraulic accumulator to a first hydraulic support of the unloading conveyor to thereby spring load the unloading conveyor for movement in at least one of a vertical and a horizontal direction, further comprising the step of: 
 from the operator cab, engaging at least the second gas charged hydraulic accumulator to a second hydraulic support of the unloading conveyor to thereby spring load the unloading conveyor for movement in the other of a vertical and a horizontal direction. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of operating a suspension system for an unloading conveyor of an agricultural harvester vehicle in an agricultural field, comprising the steps of:
 driving the harvester vehicle through the agricultural field from an operator station of the agricultural harvester vehicle; and 
 from the operator cab, engaging at least a first gas charged hydraulic accumulator to a first hydraulic support of the unloading conveyor to thereby spring load the unloading conveyor for movement in at least one of a vertical and a horizontal direction, wherein the step of engaging at least the first gas charged hydraulic accumulator includes the step of: 
 automatically and periodically sensing a stress applied by the harvester vehicle to the unloading conveyor in at least one of the vertical and horizontal direction, and 
 responsive to the stress exceeding at predetermined value, automatically engaging the first gas charged hydraulic accumulator to the first hydraulic support of the unloading conveyor to thereby spring load the unloading conveyor for movement in the at least one direction. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one direction is horizontal. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one direction is vertical. 
     
     
       11. A suspension system for an unloading conveyor of an agricultural harvester vehicle, comprising:
 a first support configured to position and hold the unloading conveyor in a vertical unloading position; 
 a second support configured to position and hold the unloading conveyor in a horizontal unloading position; 
 a control circuit coupled to the first and second supports, wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively engage at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator to one of the first support and the second support to thereby spring-load the unloading conveyor in at least the vertical or the horizontal direction, wherein the agricultural harvester vehicle includes an operator cab from which the harvester vehicle is configured to be operated during normal harvesting operations in an agricultural field, and wherein the control circuit includes at least one operator actuated device disposed in the operator cab that permits the operator to manually engage and disengage the at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator to one of the first support and the second support during normal operations through the field. 
 
     
     
       12. A suspension system for an unloading conveyor of an agricultural harvester vehicle comprising:
 a first support configured to position and hold the unloading conveyor in a vertical unloading position; 
 a second support configured to position and hold the unloading conveyor in a horizontal unloading position; and 
 a control circuit coupled to the first and second supports, wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively engage at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator to one of the first support and the second support to thereby spring-load the unloading conveyor in at least the vertical or the horizontal direction, wherein the control circuit is configured to automatically engage the at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator when the stress applied by the harvester vehicle to the unloading conveyor exceeds a first predetermined value. 
 
     
     
       13. The suspension system of  claim 12 , wherein the control circuit is configured to automatically disengage the at least one gas charged hydraulic accumulator when the stress applied by the harvester vehicle drops below a second predetermined value. 
     
     
       14. The suspension system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one pressure sensor configured to indicate the stress applied by the harvester vehicle to the unloading conveyor. 
     
     
       15. The suspension system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one accelerometer configured to indicate the stress applied by the harvester vehicle to the unloading conveyor.